Tom LaBonge Newsletter: President Obama is coming to Los Angeles and CD4, Great ShakeOut and More

We're honored to welcome President Barack Obama to Los Angeles early next week.  The Commander in Chief comes to town for a Hancock Park fundraiser at a private home.  The President will land on Monday afternoon, and will stay through Tuesday.  The City of Los Angeles is coordinating with the U-S Secret Service to make sure the President's stay is smooth; but you can count on street closures as the President's motorcade moves across town on Monday afternoon.  Stay tuned to local media on Monday for the very latest on the President's movements, and the traffic tie-ups that will follow.

Great California ShakeOut!


At 10:20 AM on 10.20.11, millions of Californians executed the "Drop, Cover and Hold-On" Earthquake Drill, including shoppers and team-members at this Target Store in Northridge.  Northridge was, of course, the epicenter of the deadly and damaging Earthquake in January 1994.  Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilmember Mitch Englander were joined by Anne Castle, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior; Mike Dayton, the Acting Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency; Daryl Osby, Chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department; Lucy Jones, Chief Scientist, USGS SAFR Project, Paul Schulz, CEO, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region and Carey Strouse, SVP of Stores for Target, as well as delegates from Mexico, Japan, Chile and China.





The Latest on Apron-Parking in Los Angeles

As a result of City Council action and advice of the City Attorney, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation is NOT issuing parking citations under Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 80.53 for parking on a Driveway Apron.  Traffic Officers have been instructed as to the change in policy and the suspension of enforcement.  According to the LADOT General Manager's office, any citations issued in error under LAMC section 80.53 on October 12th, 2011 or later will be administratively canceled.  Be advised, though, that the LADOT will continue to enforce other sections of the LAMC and California Vehicle Code, including CVC section 22500(e), which prohibits parking in front of the driveway, and CVC section 22500(f), which prohibits parking on the sidewalk.



The City Council Moves Toward Lifting the Ban on Murals
The Los Angeles City Council this week took the first steps toward changing city policy on murals.  Current City law does not differntiate between artistic murals and commercial signs.  The council unanimously passed a motion to begin the process of exempting murals under the sign ordinance.  The motion directs the city attorney's office, in coordination with the City Planning Department and Department of Cultural Affairs, to begin the detailled work of creating a comprehensive mural ordinance.  It sends the issue back to the Arts, Parks and Neighborhoods Committee, where several of Councilmember LaBonge's motions regarding murals on private property will be considered.  It will also renew the process of reaching out to community groups for input on what a mural ordinance should look like.
Click here to see all the Council Documents on Murals


Sewer Rates could be on the rise in Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles is considering raising sewer fees to help replace aging infrastructure.  Right now, sewer fees average about $30 a month.  Those would go up to about $53 a month 10 years from now under a proposal approved 13-0 by the City Council this week.  DWP bill include the charge, which would rise about 4.5 percent for the first three years, then by another 6.5-percent from 2014 to 2021.  The Bureau of Sanitation says the hikes will raise almost $2-billion that would be spent on repairing or replacing sewer line and completing capital infrastructure projects.  It's important to note that 50-percent of the city's sewer system is 70 years old.  80 years is the average life-span of municipal sewer systems.  Some 20-percent of the pipes are older than 70 years.  Emergency repairs can cost seven times as much preventative maintenence, which is why the City wants to spend a little now to save a lot later.  Residents in San Francisco pay $85 dollars a month in sewer fees, while San Diegans pay $48 per month.  The Sewer Fee increase is not a done-deal.  The Bureau of Sanitation must send out notices of the fee increase to its 640-thousand customers.  If more than half of them protest the rates, the fee-hike cannot take effect without more hearings.



EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS TIP OF THE WEEK

-Know your Utilities-
Before an earthquake:
   -- Strap water heaters in place to prevent them from moving or toppling over. They should be fastened to wall studs by metal straps around the bottom third and the upper third, anchored by bolts. The lower strap should be at least four inches above the thermostat controls.
   -- Replace semi-rigid aluminum or copper gas line connectors with
approved corrugated metal connectors. These are less likely to crack during an earthquake. Connectors and strapping kits are available at most hardware stores.
   -- Know where the natural gas meter is. They are often just above ground on one side of the home, but could be inside or underground. A shut-off valve should be installed at every gas appliance, and may be required by state and/orlocal codes. If a leak occurs at a specific appliance, the valve will permit you to turn off the gas at the appliance rather than shutting off all gas service at the meter. Some valves require a wrench to turn them.
   -- Have a 12-inch or larger adjustable wrench handy to manually turn off the gas meter should it be necessary if a gas leak is suspected after an emergency.
   After an earthquake:
   -- Do not turn off the gas meter after an earthquake unless you smell gas, hear the sound of gas escaping or see other signs of a gas leak -- and only if it is safe to do so. Once the gas has been turned off, it may take SoCalGas several days to restore service, depending on the magnitude of the emergency. Do not attempt to turn the gas back on yourself.
   -- If there is an apparent gas leak, remain calm. Do not light a match, candle or cigarette, and do not turn electrical devices -- not even a light switch -- on or off, or use any other device or equipment that may cause a spark. Note that gas leaking from a plastic pipe can cause static electricity which can ignite the gas. From a safe location, people can call SoCalGas 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (800) 427-2200. For Spanish speakers, call
(800) 342-4545. And people can also call 911.
   -- If a gas leak is suspected and it is safe to do so, turn the gas off
at the meter. Using a 12-inch or larger adjustable wrench, make a quarter-turn of the valve, moving it from a vertical position to a horizontal position. This will shut off the flow of gas.
   A diagram and instructions for turning off the gas meter are printed in the ``Survival Guide'' section of most telephone directory white pages, and is also available at www.socalgas.com .
   If the gas is shut off at the meter, do not turn it back on yourself.
Call SoCalGas to have the gas turned back on and to have the pilot lights relit.
   For more natural gas safety information, visit SoCalGas' website



 Italian-American Month in the City of Los Angeles

The proud history of Italian Americans in Los Angeles was marked this week with the City Council declaring October "Italian American Heritage Month".  The proclamation was also an opportunity to welcome the new Italian Consul General for Los Angeles Signore Giuseppe Perrone (center in the dark suit, holding the proclamation)

Radio Poet Passes Away at 101

Norman Corwin -- once called the "Poet Laureate of Radio" -- passed away this week in Los Angeles at the age of 101.  The brilliant journalist, author, playwright, poet and novelist died quietly at his home, according to the USC Anneberg School, where he was a Writer-in-Residence until the time of his death.  It's hard to understand today the tremendous intellectual influence that Corwin had in the years during and after World War II.  The nation stood still in awe for his landmark May 5, 1945 broadcast of "On a Note of Triumph", marking the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, that many still consider the greatest radio broadcast of all time.